G. Thornton, alias Thornton Gunnoe.-This man was examined before me on the 7th of January and then stated: He was born in Morgan County, Va.; was raised in Morgan. Lives on Sir Johns Run; shoemaker by trade, but sickly and unable to follow his trade. Has worked for several years for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad repairing track, & c.; quit work when the bridges were destroyed. After he quit work on railroad went to Berkeley County to work in the harvest field for Pitzer and for Sybert. Says he never had anything to do with the Northern men or their friends. Says he went to see his sister-in-law in Frederick, Md., and in so doing passed through the Northern army at Williamsport. Says he was recommended by Richard Gregory, of Hancock, to Mr. Kennedy who gave him a written pass. The men who arrested him destroyed Gregory's letter. On his return came through Middleton, cut off from Hagerstown and Williamsport, and crossed the river way below; does not remember where. Came up through Hancock and around home. His brother, one of the company raised by General Carson's orders, was shot by Rector, a Union man. Says he voted for Michael to go to the legislature and Kennedy to go to Congress. On the 10th (to-day) he was called up again for examination in the presence of Mr. Sherrard, the delegate from Morgan. He had previously passed in prison by the name of G. Thornton. Mr. Sherrard recognized him as Thornton Gunnoe, of Morgan County. Prisoner said he had told the clerk of the prison several times his name was Gunnoe. He said he forgot when examined to tell me so. Gave the same account of his birth and residence he gave on his first examination. Said his brother was killed by Cornelius Spriggs and Henry Rector. Says he got over the river by a pass procured by Gregory. Says Shanks was with him when he was arrested, but Shanks made his escape. Denied he belonged to Dyke's Union company. Had not seen Dykes for four days before his arrest. Says he ran when he was arrested, but did so because he was scared. Admits he was one of the party guarding Capon bridge to prevent it being burned by a parcel of rowdies; but says John B. Stuart, the superintendent, ordered them not to resist if the Confederate troops came to burn it. Mr. Sherrard says Gunnoe is an ignorant man led by the employes of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and others. Says he is a thorough Union man. Says Gunnoe's brother who was killed by Spriggs and Rector was a Union man and was supposed to be killed by mistake, the design being to kill Hunter, a secessionist. Says Gregory who procured the pass for Gunnoe to go to Maryland is now provost marshal of the United States at Hancock. Says Gunnoe was regarded as a harmless, inoffensive man before these difficulties, and his chief fault is his devotion to the Stars and Stripes and being the dupe of the mischievous men who have brought the enemy into that country. I think this man ought not to be released.

SOURCE: Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 2, pgs. 1464-1465